The present invention relates generally to the art of food preparation and more particularly to an improved method for preparing a reconstitutable, dehydrated refried bean product containing whole beans as well as crushed beans.
Refried beans are a well known and popular food dish which is common to Mexico and the South-Western United States. The preparation of non-reconstituted refried beans by conventional methodology is generally time consuming and requires high levels of culinary skill. Efforts to minimize the time required in preparing such refried bean dishes, and also efforts to ensure the consistent quality of such preparations, have resulted in the establishment of various methods for pre-preparing refried bean products.
At least one of the prior art pre-preparation methods involves the preparation of a canned refried bean product for subsequent warming prior to consumption. The use of canned products in the food service trade has not, however, been widespread because of the high shipping and warehousing costs associated with canned products, as well as inherent difficulties in using can-type containers.
Other methods of the prior art have provided alternative methods for the preparation of dehydrated reconstitutable refried bean products. Early efforts to prepare such reconstitutable products were fraught with deficiencies and, generally, the early reconstitutable products exhibited undesirable color, taste, and texture qualities. Many of the deficiencies associated with the early methods are overcome by the method described in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 935,265, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
While the invention described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 935,265 does represent a significant advancement over the prior art, it must be recognized that such process is specifically intended for use in the preparation of crushed or mashed beans. More recently it is also desirable to prepare refried bean dishes which include a quantity of whole beans interspersed throughout a matrix of crushed beans. Thus, the present invention provides a method for preparing a reconstitutable refried bean product containing whole beans in combination with crushed or mashed beans.
The present invention has particular utility in the preparation of refried bean dishes and is described herein with particular reference to "beans", however, it must be appreciated that the invention is certainly not limited to beans and may find utility in the preparation of any leguminous comestible or similar food product, such as corn, peas, and the like.